Conservatives: So, if they torture us, it makes it ok to torture them?

Question

or... because we don't torture them as harshly as they torture us "it's ok"?

this is the refrain that conservatives keep repeating...

why do conservatives keep talking about "moral relativity" in the liberal party and as soon as terrorists attack they sink to the enemy's level because "they're doing it too"?

these are the same kinds of things Reagan chastised the Soviets for... secret prisons... torture... and now you just don't care if it's right or wrong anymore because you're afraid and feel threatened?

would you do away with all your freedoms to be safe? yet you say we're fighting for our freedoms?

there is inherent risk with freedom... conservatives seem less and less willing to live with that risk... the more you cut the risks the more you infringe on the freedoms our forefathers died for...

China doesn't have many terrorist attacks... but I don't like the price they pay for it...

since when is acting in a moral manner "playing nice"?

I thought conservatives were all about having the "moral highground"?

Do Republicans think it makes them look smarter every time they call someone stupid?

wow... they must think they look very smart right now...

I see a very stark similarity between the ideas of many conservatives on here and the ideas that the terrorsts have...

ideas that there is no morals in war... ideas that the ememy is an animal not worth anything...

are "all men created equal"?

Answer 1

When asking such a question, one must define torture.

Answer 2

Your question is an important one.And the anwers you have received so far are also interesting and important in that they reveal a lot of the ways in which people who are afraid can perceive their enemy. Human dignity and the values we live by and the values which define our society are the central issues of what makes America what it is.
I find somewhat depressing the repeated "GI Joe/bomb the bastards" continuous insults to the liberal left. Insults do not constitute argument, except on Fox TV. If the argument is it doesn't matter what we do as long as one American life is saved, then that is both sad and dangerous. Treating other humans as humans, and as prisoners with rights as respected world wide, doesn't mean we are weak. Villifying others by calling them terrorists so they have no rights as a human being is unnacceptable. Calling a man a terrorist doesnt give another the right to torture him. Many tortured at Gitmo ("we do not torture") have been held without trial, chained and abused for years, because they were found on the battle firelds of Afghanistan and Iraq. Prisoners of War - ok - I have no problem with that. But torture, no!
Is America respected now? Is it feared? Are Americans abroad respected? Are Americans abroad more safe?
What our enemies do to us is not a decision making process for what we do to them. Behaving like animals because others treat you in that way, is not the way forward, it is a way backwards.
At a moral level torturing is the wrong way, but at a pragmatic level it is also the wrong way. It will lead to more retribution to others because moderates will see this as an evil act and this will fuel the fire. In other words at both a moral and practical level this is not smart! Those in the CIA who have said that torture has given them information which has saved thousands of lives.. really? what else would you expect them to say to justify their behaviour- we tortured them and found nothing? And what information that they obtained by torture (we do not torture) was published? None! Oh sure it was because it would help our enemies to publish it! Sure thing!
I can remember a few decades ago the US and others showing the Chinese as brainwashed and believing everything that their leaders told them. Today, World War lll is a battle for hearts and minds, it is not a military issue.
And would you do away with all your freedoms to be safe? What an important question. The key word there is "all"!
For me than answer must be "no", and I am not a weak liberal.

Answer 3

Actually China has plenty of terrorist attacks from Islamic seperatists in the western edge of their country. I understand the liberal hatred of education, but you really might want to look it up.

And really it helps to understand where the liberal sheep are really coming from. Even as ignorant as your kind is, it's hard to believe you really think that turning the lights off on somebody, or putting their favorite book in a toilet is actually torture. But that won't stop you from mindlessly chanting how horrible we are for doing it.. all because your puppet masters tell you to do it.

And I'm always amused by the liberal idiocy of saying things that amount to "Our forefathers died so a terrorist could blow up a building without being hassled." Here's another newsflash, these "forefathers" that you're talking about hunted down and killed their enemies with the most lethal and unforgiving means available to them. They didn't ask around to see if everybody thought it was the "warm and fuzzy" thing to do, they didn't care if it hurt our enemies feelings.. they just did what needed to be done.

Answer 4

If it saves the lives of innocent Americans then yes. And if you want to look at "sinking to the Enemy's level" check out "the War" you will find quite a few examples of American soldiers doing unto the enemy as they do unto us. Interesting that you link our freedom with the civil rights you feel the enemy is "entitled to". If you look at the Geneva convention you will find that terrorists have no protection under it. Fighting these people is no where near "doing away with our rights". I guess you will just have to become the prisoner of one of these groups to get an education.

Answer 5

Well, other than on the tv shows like "24", I don't know of any proven torture going on in the real America. Your point is very valid though, just because others like the Islamo-Fascists are low lifes and are willing to torture, it doesn't give us the right to ignore human dignity "just a little bit". We as Americans are above that as a whole.

Answer 6

Uh, yah. I'm not afraid to say it. Look, they want to wipe us out. Not conquer us, or even enslave us, but KILL US. Get that through your head. That means you, your family, wife, kids, dogs cats, etc. all dead. Wake up. We should use all means necessary to win this war. This isn't a moral issue, but one of survival.

Answer 7

It is your party that is calling for the full force of the government to investigate free speech on the radio and try to form new laws to end it.

Please stop with the snow job about torture we know it happens we do not like it but it is war.

Answer 8

HELLO, MCFLY! IF WE DON'T REMOVE THEM FROM THEIR FREEDOM, THEY COULD DO EVEN WORSE. DO YOU WANT MORE PEOPLE TO DIE BECAUSE OF TERRORISTS? WELL THE MOMENT THEY DO, IT'LL AUTOMATICALLY BE BUSH'S FAULT, NOW WON'T IT? JUST LIKE KATRINA.
YOU ARE AN IDIOT.

Answer 9

they will torture us regardless of whether or not we torture them. Don't ever forget that. Right now other governments are doing things that you think only our government does.

Answer 10

This all from an "alleged" memo?

There is no proof or evidence that this is happening and if it were then I am all for it We don't need the lib mentality of "play nice" when it comes to dealing with the enemy